Voice of Hope
I am thrilled that Peg Van Horn was featured in Pictures of You ("Talking Points," June/July 2017). Spasmodic dysphonia is rare so it's important to educate the public about it. Losing your voice can impact your social life, your career, and your self-esteem. I look forward to reading more stories about it. - Patricia Hill, Glendale, CA
THE EDITOR RESPONDS: Thank you for your letter. Please see our feature on Scott Adams, the Dilbert cartoonist, who chronicled his experience with spasmodic dysphonia in our August/September 2016 issue. Please also see a video of Peg Van Horn.
Readable Print, Please
My husband had Parkinson's disease, and before he passed away last year, we found all the different topics in Neurology Now to be valuable. We often passed it along to other Parkinson's patients, who always enjoy reading it.
I continue to receive both printed and digital copies of the magazine because I am still active in the Columbia Parkinson's support group.
Your recent issue had yellow letters on a white background. For senior citizens or those with vision problems, this combination can be very difficult to read. The light green text in the brain diet feature and the light italic text in the sample menus were also hard to read.
I hope you'll take this into consideration when designing future layouts.
Thank you for an excellent magazine. It is much appreciated by me and our Parkinson's community. - Dorothy Gantt, Leesville, SC
DBS Risks
Your article about Ted Chris Horn and deep brain stimulation (DBS) ("Racing Against Parkinson's," June/July 2017) presented an overly rosy picture of DBS. You should have included risks associated with this procedure, including brain bleeding and personality changes. - Marilyn Newsom, MD, PhD, Littleton, CO
THE EDITOR RESPONDS: Thank you for your letter. In Readers Like Me, we allow readers to share their stories and experiences. In Ted Chris Horn's case, he had a positive experience with deep brain stimulation (DBS), except for a change in speech, which was improved with therapy. To learn more about the risks of DBS, such as bleeding and infection, read our Web Extra by Allan Wu, MD, a member of the Neurology Now editorial board.
Pulsatile Tinnitus
I have been reading your magazine ever since my sister had a brain tumor and my dad died of progressive supranuclear palsy and Parkinson's disease.
I have fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD), a condition that causes narrowing and enlargement of the medium-sized arteries in the body, which can constrict blood flow to the brain and other organs. In an article about tinnitus ("Sound Advice," December 2016/ January 2017), the writer referred briefly to pulsatile tinnitus indicating a possible vascular dysfunction. Many of us with FMD have pulsatile tinnitus. In fact, that is how my doctor discovered my FMD.
I hope you will write an article on FMD. Through your magazine, the awareness could be further advanced. - Tricia Hurst, Lexington, KY
Listen In!
Science says exercise, eating fruits and vegetables, and staying socially engaged are good for the brain. To learn more about how to enhance brain health, tune in to our podcasts with the experts on the Neurology Now editorial board.
This month, John C. Morris, MD, FAAN, director of the Charles F. and Joanna Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Washington University in St. Louis, reviews the evidence on brain health and explains the factors that may lower the risk of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias at youtube.com.
